Thomas Connellan

Composer

1640 – 1698

8

Who was Thomas Connellan?

Thomas Connellan was an Irish composer.

Connellan was born about 1640/1645 at Cloonamahon, County Sligo. Both he and his brother, William Connellan became harpers. Thomas is famous for the words and music of Molly MacAlpin, which is better known today as "Carolan's Dream". Turlough O'Carolan, Ireland's pre-eminent composer of the 17th and 18th centuries, loved the song so much that he is stated as saying that he would have traded all his own tunes in order to be the composer of Molly MacAlpin.

Another tune by Connellan, Molly St. George, along with Molly MacAlpin and Eileen Aroon, comprise the three earliest Irish harp tunes with extant lyrics. Yet another of Connellan's tunes was called Fáinne Geal an Lae, also known as "The Golden Star". This has similarities with, the melody used by Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh for his poem, On Raglan Road.

According to Arthur O'Neill:

Thomas Conlan the great harper was born before my time. I heard he played very well.

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Born
1640
County Sligo
Lived in
  • County Sligo
Died
1698

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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